Ekstrom on course to be second-ever World RX champion on Cooper tyres

Friday 5 August 2016

With the first half of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Championship already played out on Cooper tyres, Swedish driver Mattias Ekstrom continues to lead the driver standings by five points, ahead of reigning two-time champion and popular Norwegian Petter Solberg.

So far this season there has been three different winners in the Supercar category. Solberg took the win at the season opener in Portugal, as Ekstrom dominated the following three rounds and Andreas Bakkerud occupied the top step of the podium at the two most recent events in Scandinavia, including the World RX of Norway where he was competing on home soil.

An extremely closely fought title chase is expected in the second half of the season, but Ekstrom is currently in the running to potentially be crowned only the second-ever World RX champion.

Cooper’s unique and supreme World RX tyres have once again been delivering nail-biting competition in World RX this year, as the drivers tackle rough and smooth surfaces at purpose built venues on the 12-round calendar. Next up is the first round outside of Europe in 2016, the World RX of Canada.

Giving fans as much access to the drivers as possible, on the Friday of the Canadian showdown, Cooper Tire Europe will be hosting a Twitter takeover with Timmy Hansen, who is currently lying sixth in the championship, 20 points adrift from his closest rival and fellow Swedish driver Johan Kristoffersson.

Fans can logon to Twitter and go to @CooperTireEU from 19:00hrs (UK time) on Friday 05 August for 30 minutes to ask Hansen questions.